Dear OES Parents,

Students will be taking the FAST (literacy) and HMH (math) winter assessments during the next couple of weeks. These two tests are given to students three times a year.

Why testing? Testing is an essential component of the educational process. It serves multiple purposes that benefit both teachers and students. From assessing knowledge to guiding instruction, testing plays a pivotal role in enhancing the learning experience.

Some reasons for testing?

Understanding Student Learning: Testing assesses a student's understanding of a subject, revealing areas of difficulty. Teachers benefit from this knowledge, as it allows them to adjust teaching methods, provide more assistance, and create a more productive learning environment.

Guiding Instruction: Testing guides instruction through formative assessments, helping teachers identify mastered concepts and those needing explanation. This dynamic approach ensures learning is responsive to student needs, allowing for revisiting and clarifying material.

Reinforcing Learning: Tests are crucial for strengthening learning by encouraging students to review and solidify their understanding, improving long-term memory retention, and boosting self-esteem and motivation. Exam scores reflect students' work, fostering a positive outlook on future learning.

Providing Feedback for Students: Testing is a valuable method for providing feedback, enabling teachers to identify areas for improvement and empower students to take charge of their education, enabling them to set objectives and develop improvement plans.

Supporting Diverse Learners: Identifying learning needs and styles in diverse classrooms is crucial. Standardized assessments can identify knowledge gaps, while adaptive tests provide individualized assessments, ensuring every student receives the support they need for success.

Please, make sure your child is taking both the FAST and HMH assessments in the next couple of weeks. Once students have taken these assessments, please contact your child’s teacher to learn more about your kid’s strengths and areas where support is needed.

Sincerely,

John Osorio

Assistant Principal

651-744-6368 / john.osorio@spps.org

SPPS Online offers a unique opportunity for students, parents, and the school to engage in their child's education. Google Meets focus on teaching and learning, maintaining consistency with traditional classrooms. Distraction-free learning environments are essential. Issues can be addressed in Google Meets, but not during live classroom sessions. Parents can arrange private discussions with teachers, but these must be done outside instructional time to maintain the online learning environment.

Please access and get familiar with this protocol. Your understanding and cooperation are highly appreciated. This protocol is available in three languages (English, Hmong, and Spanish).

Links to the Protocol for Managing Classroom Interruptions During Online Instruction:

• English

• Hmong

• Spanish

It is important for your child to show up to class on time everyday. If your child will be absent from class please contact Belinda Vang via phone or email at your earliest convenience.

Attendance Line: 651-744-4707

Attendance Email: oes.attendance@spps.org

How to report an absence:

• Student Name

• Parent Name

• Student # or DOB

• Date(s) of Absence

• Reason for being absent

New newsletter for January: 1/6/25-2/16/25 Newsletter

Our Kindergarten newsletter shares our theme, the lessons and goals we have throughout the theme, and important dates. It also has links to the Big Skills Document, where you can see exactly what your child should have mastered at this time and a link to our Kindergarten Weekly Photo Drops. Please reach out with any questions, comments or concerns to 651-447-8866.

Check out our First Grade Newsletter here. There is new information on this link weekly!

Click here for the Second Grade Running Newsletter. There is new information on this link weekly!

Please feel free to reach out to me via email: baokou.moua@spps.org

Dear 4th Grade Families,

After a long break, 4th graders spent this week reviewing previous math skills we’ve covered in preparation for the HMH Growth Measure. We also wrote three different paragraphs to practice the different writing styles we’ve practiced so far this year. Please ask your students about their writing, they presented to the class and did a wonderful job!

Students also revised the behavior expectations of OES and created memes showing school behavior and funny non examples. Please review the behavior matrix with your student if you have any questions.

Lastly, we did an in depth study on Nelson Mandela this week and students did writing and created posters around Human Rights Day. 4th graders really shine when they are expressing their creativity!

Please check your student’s Seesaw weekly to make sure they are completing all school work, and always reach out if anything is unclear or you have any questions. I will be updating my office hours/small group schedules after the HMH Growth Measure and FAST testing are done in order to have all my groups focused on specific skill sets. Thank you for all the good work you’re doing at home to support your child’s learning and growth!

Please contact me any time:

612-314-9961

michelle.smith2@stpaul.k12.mn.us

Hello 5th grade families!

I hope you all had a safe and fun break! We have some fun upcoming field trips this spring and I’ll be on the lookout for some chaperones! If you would be interested in joining us for a field trip on Thursday, March 6th or Tuesday, May 27th, please get back to me ASAP as there are a few steps we need to take to get you ready to come with!

I will be reaching out to families of students who are not keeping up with their work coming back from winter break. Please check in and help your student keep up if you receive one of these messages.

Starting in January, we are partnering with EveryMeal to provide an option for families to pick up a bag of food with shelf staples on Fridays at Como Park Elementary between 11-2 at the small parking lot entrance of Door 6. Families must fill out a survey to be eligible to pick up a bag of food. Bags will not be available other days of the week unless there is an appointment scheduled with an SPPS Online staff member. Please call Stephanie Abbas at 612-548-1841 with questions.

Complete survey by Today for meals in January : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOSlFYPdw0MQ6N4E5zh30p-jUhyfsn2NLfqGmYOjReCI6y9Q/viewform

Please continue to reach out with questions and concerns!

Ms. E

jackelyn.doyle@spps.org

‪(651) 456-8606‬

All 5th graders at Online Elementary School will automatically be enrolled for 6th grade at Online Middle School.

December 14: Enrollment for 2025-2026 School Year opens online

January 2025: Schools will host open houses

February 14: Priority Application Deadline for ALL grades

March 2025: Priority Deadline Acceptance Notification

Do you have questions about your child transitioning to middle school? Check out this resource.

Kindergartens are learning about inventions of technology and Play-Doh this week and how inventions are created.

3rd grade is going through the engineer process of identifying a problem and coming up with a solution, then creating a prototype.

2nd grade artists are learning about ways to take lines and turn them into other creations. For example we turned scribble lines into little characters and we used continuous lines to create blob characters.

5th grade artists are learning about design. For example we learned about the history of kites specifically in China but also in Guatemala and the history of how Benjamin Franklin used a kite to discover electricity. Students designed their own kites to reflect parts of their life and personalities.

Ms. Haug

jenna.haug@stpaul.k12.mn.us

612-568-5355

I hope that you all had an amazing winter break that was filled with joy, peace, and rest! This week we had the 2nd Graders and the 5th Graders in PE Class. We were getting back into the groove of our workouts and fitness, while learning about different winter sports & competitions. This upcoming week I will have the 1st Graders, and the 4th Graders!

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at 651-603-4652 or shaw.wiczek@stpaul.k12.mn.us

Check out what we are doing in Science in this Newsletter

Check out our Science video here: Science Presentation

Contact me:

Dr. Magalenn Cotton

magalenn.cotton@spps.org

612-615-2145

5th Grade Leadership has kicked off for the school year. Our 5th grade leaders are creating weekly newscast, challenges to engage with the entire school, and spirit weeks.

Hello families! A reminder that special education services with Ms. Deacon are provided in the morning (before lunch) - having your child on time and present is the best way to maximize resource room services. Ms. L. also provides support throughout the afternoon, with homework support from 2 - 3 using the same code as services. Progress reports on IEPs will be shared in November around conference time. brooke.deacon@spps.org

Click here for the class newsletter for January: Zallaps' New Class Newsletter

Ms. Claudia Perez Inzunza (Ms. P.I) and Ms. Sherri Silva work with all English Language Learners in OES Kinder- 5th grade. If you or your child needs support, please contact them via email, calls or text at claudia.perezinzunza@spps.org 651-419-6605

sherri.silva@spps.org 651-252-4470

The OLS MLL Team is continuing to administer the Spanish Language Proficiency evaluation: STAMPS to LCD eligible Spanish speaking students at OES in person at Como Park Elementary School.

Hello everyone! I’m Ms. Steph and I support families that work with Ms. Zallaps and Ms. Deacon. Please call, text or email me with any questions: stephanie.abbas@spps.org or ‪(612) 548-1841‬

Reading groups are in full swing! If your 3rd - 5th grader has a reading group with me, please help them attend daily.

My contact information is: molly.brown@spps.org or 612-568-4212 (call or text).

Please contact Kim Stout for support around family, community, or school stressors. kim.stout@spps.org or (651)401-5595

I'm Maki Love, the school counselor. For the next few weeks in our classroom counseling lessons, students will be learning about community and skills to help them be successful learners in school.

Have a question or need support?

Email: maki.love@spps.org

Google Voice Text or Call: 612-405-8056

I’m Ms.McConnell, I’m the Navigational Intervention Specialist in the Online Elementary school. Check out my newsletter here.

If you have needs, and may not be sure where to go, contact me at 6126994177 or at Kiowona.mcconnell@stpaul.k12.mn.us.

I’m Ms. Shanaz, the onboarding specialist. If you have questions, please call or text me at (612)568-6624.

Vision and hearing screening are important for every child to get regularly. Children that can’t see clearly or have a hard time hearing can have a more difficult time learning and reading. They are also at risk for having problems with their social development.

The Minnesota Department of Health recommends that children be screened for hearing and vision at all well child visits through age 10 and then at least once for ages 12-14, ages 15-17 and ages 18-20. Please contact Nurse Jenny at 651-419-1219 or Jennifer.martineau@spps.org if you have any hearing or vision concerns for your child or if you would like to schedule an appointment to have your child screened at Como Elementary.

Please contact Contact Nurse Jenny if you want more information on any other health related topic at 651-419-1219 or Jennifer.martineau@spps.org.

Visit the Neighborhood House for winter gear for children and adults. Monday - Friday, Starting October 28th, 9:30-12pm & 1- 3:30PM, Wellstone Center 179 Robie St. E. Saint Paul, MN 55105. For more information call 651-789-3602

If any additional needs, please reach out to Kim Stout our school social worker (651)401-5595 or kim.stout@spps.org

For quick at home fixes, call

Joshua Thao, iPad Manager: ‪

612-699-4161 / joshua2.thao@spps.org

For in person appointments to change out or fix technology, make an appointment below. ‬

Dear Parents,

We hosted our Annual Title I SCIP Meeting for Parents on Dec. 19, 2024. We recorded the meeting for parents to watch it during the break.

Meanwhile, feel free to access the PowerPoint presentation used during the SCIP meeting. This presentation will be also available in our school website, in the Title I page, on Monday Dec. 23, 2024.

Title I: Online School Annual SCIP Meeting for Parents

Title I Resources and Important Links for Parents:

• Title I

• Family Engagement Plan 2024/25

• K-12 School Compacts 2024/25

• Parents Right to Know

• Online School SCIP Plan

• Needing Docs Translated?

• Resources for Parents

• Parent Volunteer Request

• MDE OES School Report Cards

Feel free to contact John Osorio at john.osorio@spps.org with any questions about Title I or any of these documents and services.

January 20 - No School, MLK Day

January 27 - No School, Staff PD Day

1/12/25

12/22/24

12/15/24

12/8/24

12/1/24

11/24/24

11/17/24

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10/27/24

10/20/24

10/13/24

10/6/24

9/29/24

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